Interesting conversation over on the IxDA list about what everyone thinks are their tenets of design. These are mine.

1. Challenge standards, all the time, every time, because they can always be improved. This includes design and process standards.
2. Never, ever stop asking questions (”What does this mean? Where can I learn more? What if we changed this color? How can this label be better?” etc.) . Somewhere underneath all those questions is some illuminating truth that you can learn from and use in the future.
3. Never be afraid to make decisions. All decisions are temporary. Make them, and be willing to be wrong. The only way to get better is to learn from your mistakes and accept that you’re only as good as you can be in any given moment.
4. Always be your own worst critic, and never stop critiquing your own work. Great work is the result of a whole lot of bad work.
5. Find fault in every design. There’s always something wrong. There’s always something that can be improved. Find it, and obsess over fixing it. (Of course, to temper this, you should also be sure to praise valiant efforts, treat people well, give credit where credit is due, etc.)
6. Solve for the moment
   

There are more, I’m sure. But I think this is the heart of what I believe.

Posted by Robert on November 13th, 2007